talk report - november 2006
22 November: Dr Audrey Coney - Boundaries of Upholland
Upholland is one of the highest points around the West Lancashire area, and was part of the West Derby Hundred, and was in the Parish of Wigan. A 16 map shows the area of Upholland covering Billinge, Parbold, Dalton and UpHolland. In the Domesday book it is called Holland, which means "land by a hill spur'. The soil is dry with a lot of heathland and vegetation, it is not generally good arable soil. We know that there was a beacon on the high ground at Dalton in the 17C, and there may have been one even earlier than that. The beacon would have given off smoke, not flames, as smoke carried over a distance.
Upholland has very well defined boundaries, which have not been disputed over the years. Men of the village would walk the boundaries each year, always in a clockwise direction, and so everyone knew where they were.
Starting with the boundary with Appley Bridge, there is a boundary stone still standing between the place names for Appley Lane North and Appley Lane South. From here the boundary runs along the River Douglas in a clockwise direction. It then changes direction to run south along Dean Brook, with the bridge over the Dean marking the boundary. The next boundary is Abbey Lakes, the boundary runs around the back of the lake, and this forms the boundary with Billinge. On the west side the land was once inter common with Bickerstaffe and Rainford before enclosure took place. This is the least well defined boundary. Between UpHolland and Skelmersdale it is harder to follow because of the vast amount of building work which has taken place, but it seems to run along Grimshaw Brook. It then goes back up and over the ridge to Beacon Country Park, and down to Holland Park. Finally the boundary goes beyond Farley Lane and into Holland Lees.
Dr Coney had slides of all of these boundaries, and pointed out many interesting features in the landscape. She also touched briefly on some of the ancient families who lived in the area, such as Hollands, Lacelle, Walthew and Bannister families.